There is a huge amount of clothing content for Michael 4 and Victoria 4. Some of it is by really outstanding artists who do not or have only recently worked with G1 or G2, and some is quality work that was never updated but is available cheaply, including many of DAZ's Platinum Club items. You can take best advantage of this by using Transfer Utility in addition to AutoFit. This tutorial will show you how to use Transfer Utility to preserve skirt handles, fancy sleeve rigging, or basically any extra bones that are normally lost in the conversion process. I've done a different tutorial for converting custom bone items between G1 and G2 already and a post on converting high heels to G2.

I posted this in the thread for the Sickle Rigging and Morphing System over on the DAZ forums, but vwrangler pointed out there are some advantages to having it here as well, so that people can favorite and archive it more easily. Also, you don't really need SRMS (or G2 Basic Rigs from my store) to do this; since this method lets us keep skirt handles, no template should be necessary at all. It just can provide a smoother conversion in some cases, and some of you already have it, so I will include that option in the directions.

You absolutely do need to have DAZ Studio 4.6 or later. DAZ Studio 4.6 contains the update that allows weight maps to overlap at values higher than 100%, and that's very necessary when keeping Generation 4 handles.

---------

Load a Gen 4 or other item. Load Genesis 1 or one of the Genesis 2 figures. Do not apply morphs, scaling, or poses to the figure. If you try to use this to quickie-fit an outfit to your posed and morphed characters it probably won't work.

Start the Transfer Utility. Its icon looks like an arrow pointing up and to the right. As "Source" choose the figure. As "Target" choose the clothing item. Also choose Clone or Morph V4 on the left dropdown under Source. You may need to experiment with what works best on the individual item, but for me it usually it needs to be Clone V4 if there are long sleeves whereas Morph V4 sometimes gives better skirt results.

Choose template—SRMS bodysuit or dress or boots as appropriate, or Basic Dress/Basic Tunic if using G2. Otherwise using no template may be best. I definitely recommend that on items with fused pants and boots.

Uncheck everything but Morphs and Reverse Source Shape from Target in the advanced options below. Add a smoothing modifier. Do not check Fit to Source Figure. Uncheck it if it is checked. Vwrangler reports that leaving this checked may result in bad results on superposing items like the Amazing Braid from Renderosity.

Let it run. It may ball up when it’s done. If so, don't panic.

Select G1/G2 and then the item with ctrl+click in Scene Tab (in this order). Click on the tiny icon that looks like three lines and a triangle to the upper right of this. Activate Edit—Rigging—Transfer Rigging (Figure Space). Now it should be fitted to G1/G2 properly but still have its extra bones.

Save the clothing item to library and reload. Do not move or morph G1/G2 before you do so.

I've seen others on the forum reporting incorrectly on the use of Wearables presets. Don't save as these. The purpose of Wearables presets is to save a loader that can load many preexisting items at once, not an individual item that doesn't exist in the library yet. Instead, use File--Save As--Figure/Prop Asset, and fill out the form accordingly. Try not to use the exact name of the product in case it is later converted by the original artist and you might want both versions.

-----

In my testing, this method has been effective, although one still has to add a push modifier sometimes (found in that same edit dialogue as the transfer rigging option). There's no helping bad or unfused geometry, so watch for sellers who seem to do that regularly and don't plan on buying their content for conversion use. When in doubt, buy their cheapest thing that is still recent, test it, and see if it performs, has been my policy. I can't list everyone who makes conversion-friendly products, but here are those I can attest to personally:

-DAZ3D vendors and legacy content, basically across the board but definitely Daz Originals/Platinum Club

-Xurge3d (One or two bodysuits have mesh gapping, but usually if you update the mats to use his displacement it's not visible)

-Alfaseed/Aerysoul (About everything I tried, lots of very dense, fused geometry so very good candidates)

-Val3dArt (Kyrie, at least)

-PowerAge is not 100%, but recent work is good. I have a freebie sweater of his with split geometry that comes out dreadfully, but the BlackMoon and his shiny armors converted well.

-I haven't tested OutOfTouch's earlier stuff, but more recent pieces are very sound geometry and he even makes things for G2 now (hooray).

-I don't have LadyLittleFox's things but have heard mostly positive things about their convertibility.

I will be happy to add to this list if you have others to suggest whose work you are certain converts well or poorly based on its geometry.

Hi and thank you for taking the time to write up this tutorial for us all.I thought I might try it for converting some things to Dawn too and for the most part it worked but for the fact that when I posed Dawn the clothing didn't stay on her fully. Everything followed the pose ok but it was half off her. It was the G3F Water Spirit Warrior top I tried, maybe I am just missing something really obvious

Yep, followed word for word, step by step. tried a couple of times with the same result, tried a V4 to Dawn conversion too, got the same thing just not as bad. I am sure I am just missing some silly little thing but danged if I can work out what

I'll have another shot at it once I am done with some promos and see. Its a pity you don't have Dawn as it would be amazing if you were to work your conversion magic on her and Dusk, I know quite a few folks who would be very thrilled if you ever did.

Seems odd just from comments I've seen around the forums both from Admin and users, either way a pity as I really think having stuff for Dawn and co like what you have done with Genesis would really go along way to making them fly. Oh well dreams are free I guess.

Followed you tutorial and it works great to a point, most of V4's dresses and skirts when converted still get the bunch up problem at the crotch area and if the skirt is short instead of being a straight seam will be pulled up at that area. Same problem occurs with some pants as well but in those cases using a smoothing modifier can get rid of most of it.. But with this one dress I am trying to convert Goth Maid Outfit www.daz3d.com/gothic-housemaid… I get it bunching up at the apron and I can't use a smoothing modifier or I get seam breaks everywhere so not sure what to do..

Also for some reason I am unable to use the projection template part of the utility as it is greyed out.. Seems they changed something in Studio 4.7 as you can't even choose when using the autofit tool..

The weird thing is this problem is only affecting Genesis 2 Female, even after uninstalling, redownloading and reinstalling everything.. I am having no such issues with using the projection template option with Genesis 1.. I have posted on the Daz forums about it as it has me completely stumped as to what is happening..

OK...I'm tackling this little task tomorrow for the V4 Space Dweller outfit--with the V4 morphs added before I go all convert-o-matic. I'll let you know how it comes out, Shae. (Especially, since I'm converting it for Genesis AND G2F...)

Thanks. This may take a few tries... Round one didn't fit the dress to the back--and should I leave my Genesis 'gender netural' or dial it to Basic Female since I'm trying to fit the Space Dweller dress? O.o

OK! That's what I've been doing. So far...so good... I'm also converting some of my favourite V4 tops from 4BluEyes and we'll see how they play out after while...His and Hong Yu's outfits are go-to items I want to keep around...

Well, I've converted over a buncha stuff--but I'm still having headaches with the V4 Space Dweller dress and tabbard. Oh well, I'm going to keep tinkering. It converts over for Genesis rather nicely--but going to G2F is just...not happening very well.